Residency

Related Forms

Resident and Non-Resident Tuition Policy

Students enrolling at the University of South Alabama who come to the state of Alabama
from another state [with the exception of the Service Area in Florida (Escambia and
Santa Rosa counties) and Mississippi (George, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Perry, and
Stone counties)] for the purpose of attending school will be considered a "non-resident
student" for tuition purposes. The Office of Admissions determines a student's residency
status at the time of admission. This determination is based on the application information,
transcripts, and other documents required for admission and will default to "non resident"
status if any out-of-state information is received. After the initial determination
of a student's residency status, the status shall continue unchanged through all registrations
at the university until and unless 1) a non-resident student provides satisfactory
evidence that they are a resident of Alabama as defined by this policy, or 2) a student
classified as a resident is absent from Alabama with the intent to become a resident
in another state. Residency status is also reviewed at the time of readmission to
the university after any absence of one year (three semesters) or more. At the discretion
of the institution, residency status can be reviewed at any time.

A person or, if the person is a minor, the person's supporting person(s) who moves
to Alabama or to the Service Area for the primary purpose of attending college shall
not be considered to have demonstrated intent to establish domicile in the Alabama
or the Service Area and will not generally be considered eligible for classification
as a resident student. A person or, if the person is a minor, the person's supporting
person(s) who establishes domicile in Alabama or the Service Area for the sole purpose
of avoiding Alabama non-resident tuition will be subject to non-resident tuition.

Non-resident students who carry a full-time academic load for the fall or spring semester
will be presumed to be in Alabama or in the Service Area for the primary purpose of
attending college. These students will not be considered to have demonstrated the
intent to establish domicile in Alabama or the Service Area and will remain subject
to non-resident tuition.

A "resident student" for tuition purposes is one who, at the time of admission to
the university,

Is not a "minor" and is a resident of the state of Alabama or Service Area and has
been a resident of the state for a least one year (12 consecutive months) immediately
preceding the date of registration; or

Is a "minor" whose "supporting person(s)" is a resident of the state of Alabama or Service Area and has been a resident of the state for at least one year immediately preceding
the date of registration; or

One who, at the time of registration, is not a "minor" and:

Is a full-time (not temporary) employee of the University of South Alabama or is the
spouse of such an employee; or

Is employed as a graduate assistant or fellow at the University of South Alabama;
or

Is able to verify full-time permanent employment within the state of Alabama and shall
commence said employment not more than 90 days after registration (first day of classes)
with the institution, or is the spouse of such an employee; or

Is a member or the spouse of a member of the United States military on full-time active
duty stationed in Alabama under orders for duties other than attending school; or

Is a resident of any county within the University of South Alabama's Service Area
(Florida: Escambia and Santa Rosa counties; and Mississippi: George, Greene, Harrison,
Jackson, Perry, and Stone counties) and has been a resident of that county for at
least one year immediately preceding the date of registration; or

Has been a member of the Alabama National Guard for a period of at least two years
immediately preceding the student qualifying for resident tuition and continues to
be a member of the Alabama National Guard while enrolled at the University of South
Alabama; or

Is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States, provided that the veteran has
become a resident of Alabama and satisfies one of the following conditions:

The veteran has served on active duty for a continuous period of time, not less than
two years, and has received an honorable discharge as verified by a United States
Department of Defense Form 214 within five years of enrolling at the University of South Alabama.

The veteran is currently serving in a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the
United States as verified by a memorandum from the commanding officer of the veteran
student.

The veteran has been assigned a service-connected disability by the United States Department
of Veterans Affairs; or

Is in a program or takes courses within an interstate consortium of colleges or universities
that either offers reciprocal resident student tuition to residents of Alabama in
the program or courses offered by colleges or universities not within Alabama, or
is enrolled in a program or courses through an interstate consortium of colleges or
universities that assesses tuition at a uniform rate for all students enrolled in
that course or program; or

Is an accredited member of or the spouse of an accredited member of a consular staff
assigned to duties in Alabama; or

One who, at the time of registration, is a "minor" and whose "supporting person(s)":

Is a full-time employee (not temporary) of the University of South Alabama; or

Is able to verify full-time permanent employment within the state of Alabama and shall
commence said employment not more than 90 days after registration (first day of classes)
with the institution; or

Is a member of the United States military on full-time active duty stationed in Alabama
under orders for duties other than attending school; or

Is an accredited member of a consular staff assigned to duties in Alabama; or

Is a resident of any county within University of South Alabama's Service Area and
has been a resident of that county for at least one year immediately preceding the
date of registration.

A non-resident student is one who does not meet the criteria for a "resident student"
as specified in the preceding section.

The ultimate determination of residency status shall be made by the institution. In
determining whether the student is in fact a resident of Alabama or a resident of
the Service Area for the purposes of assessing a student non-resident fee, the burden
of proof is on the student. A student can change their status from non-resident to
resident student only by establishing a physical presence and place in Alabama or
in the predefined Service Area and by providing clear and convincing evidence that,
for 12 consecutive months prior to the semester of registration, this presence and
place has been the student's or, if the student is a minor, the student's supporting
person's single location at which they reside with the intent of remaining in that
location indefinitely as evidenced by more substantial connections with that place
than with any other place and not for the purposes of obtaining an education.

Definitions:

Minor Students:

Minor Students are those students who lack the capacity to contract under the law
of the State of Alabama because of their age (persons under 19 years of age or persons
under 18 years of age if married) excluding those persons whose disabilities of non-age
have been removed by a court of competent jurisdiction for a reason other than establishing
a legal residence in Alabama.

Residence

For the purpose of this policy, a residence shall be the single location at which
a person resides with the intent of remaining in that location indefinitely as evidenced
by more substantial connections with that place than with any other place and not
for the purposes of obtaining an education.

Resident

A person or, if the person is a minor, the person's supporting person(s) whose residence
is in the state of Alabama or the defined Service Area and not for the purposes of
obtaining an education.

Residence of a Minor Student

The residence of a minor student shall be the residence of his or her supporting parent
unless neither parent has legal custody. When neither parent has legal custody, the
residence of the minor student shall be the residence of the person having legal custody
of the minor student.

Supporting Person

If the student's parents are living together, the "supporting person(s)" may be either
or both of the parents. If the parents are divorced or living separately, then either
the parent having legal custody or the parent providing the greater amount of financial
support of the two (verified by a copy of the most recent income tax return.) If both
parents are deceased or if neither had legal custody, then supporting person shall
be established in the following order: legal custodian of the student, and, if none,
the guardian, and, if none, the conservator.

Service Area

The following counties in the states of Florida and Mississippi shall be defined as
the University of South Alabama Service Area: in Florida: Escambia and Santa Rosa;
in Mississippi: George, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Perry, and Stone.

Resident/Non-Resident Student

In determining resident or non-resident classification, the primary issue is one of
intent. If a person is in Alabama primarily for the purpose of obtaining an education,
that person shall be considered a non-resident student.

To be reclassified for tuition purposes, a non-resident student must prove by sufficient
evidence, as determined by the institution, that he or she is a resident of the state
of Alabama. A student's status as a resident student is determined by one of the following
methods by proving that:

The student has a residence in the state of Alabama which means the specific address
in Alabama at which they reside; that they intend to remain there indefinitely; that
they have more substantial connections with Alabama than with any other state; and
that the student has established a physical presence and place that that has been
their true, fixed, and permanent place of habitation for the 12 consecutive months
preceding the semester of registration; or

The student is not a "minor" and is a full-time employee (not temporary) of the University
of South Alabama or is the spouse of such an employee; or

The student is able to verify full-time permanent employment within the state of Alabama
and shall commence said employment not more than 90 days after registration (first
day of classes) with the institution, or is the spouse of such an employee; or

The student is a member or the spouse of a member of the United States military on
full-time active duty stationed in Alabama under orders for duties other than attending
school; or

The student is a resident of any county within the University of South Alabama's Service
Area and has been a resident of that county for at least one year immediately preceding
the date of registration; or

The student has been a member of the Alabama National Guard for a period of at least
two years immediately preceding the student qualifying for resident tuition and continues
to be a member of the Alabama National Guard while enrolled at the public institution
of higher education; or

The student is in a program or takes courses within an interstate consortium of colleges
or universities that either offers reciprocal resident student tuition to residents
of Alabama in the program or courses offered by colleges or universities not within
Alabama, or is enrolled in a program or courses through an interstate consortium of
colleges or universities that assesses tuition at a uniform rate for all students
enrolled in that course or program; or

The student is an accredited member of or the spouse of an accredited member of a
consular staff assigned to duties in Alabama.

If the student is a minor, then the minors "supporting person," as that term is defined
in the Non-resident Tuition Policy statement, must meet similar tests which are described
in the Non-resident Tuition Policy.

In determining whether a student has a residence in Alabama, the University will evaluate
the presence or absence of connections with the state of Alabama or Service Area including,
but not limited to, the following:

Continuous physical presence in the state or Service Area for a purpose other than
attending school except for temporary absences for travel, military service, temporary
employment, etc.

Payment of income tax to the State of Alabama or Service Area in the previous calendar
year.

Evidence of employment in the State of Alabama or Service Area for the 12 consecutive
months prior to the semester of registration.

In-state or Service Area address and date shown on selective service registration,
driver's license, automobile title registration, hunting and fishing license, insurance
policies, stock and bond registrations, last will and testament, annuities, or retirement
plans.

Ownership of personal property in the state or Service Area and payment of state taxes
thereon (e.g. automobile, boat, etc.) and possession of state license plates.

Ownership of a residence or other real property in the state or Service Area and payment
of state ad valorem taxes thereon; more significantly ownership of a residence other
than the place where the student resides while in school.

Residence in the state or Service Area of a spouse, parents, or children.

Transfer of all banking services to Alabama or Service Area, such as "checking and savings" accounts, safe deposit boxes, and/or investment accounts.

Financial transactions in the state or Service Area.

Previous periods of residency in the state or Service Area continuing for 12 months or more.

Possession of state or local licenses to do business or practice a profession in the
state or Service Area.

Membership in religious, professional, business, civic, or social organizations in
the state or Service Area not connected to their status as a student.

Location within the state or Service Area of the high school from which the individual graduated.

Financial independence from non-Alabama resident parents or other relatives.

Military records, such as Leave & Earning Statements, showing an in-state address.
CO Letter indicating date of Assignment in Alabama or Service Area (for Active Duty
Military).

Documentation that Alabama or Service Area is home state of record for returning military
personnel.

Other Possible Supporting Documentation:

Voter registration in the State of Alabama or Service Area; more significantly certification
of voting in the State of Alabama or Service Area that initially occurred at least
12 months prior to the initial registration of the student in Alabama at a public
institution of higher education.

This list is not meant to be all inclusive and merely describes examples of supporting
evidence which may be considered in the determination of whether a student has more
substantial connections with the state of Alabama than any other state. Supplying
such supporting evidence does not guarantee classification as a resident.

In general, international students may apply for residence reclassification but must
have the ability to remain indefinitely in the United States and otherwise meet the
requirements of the Alabama Code and Board Rule 202. More specifically, a person must
be a Permanent Resident Alien, Political Asylee, Political Refugee, or hold an A,
E, G, H, I, L, 0, P, R, TC, TD or TN visa to be eligible for review as an in-state
resident for tuition purposes. Students who hold a B, F, J, or M visa are not eligible
to establish Alabama residency unless their supporting person is an Alabama resident
or is a full-time employee of a company party to an Alabama Free Trade Agreement.

Academic Common Market (ACM) non-resident tuition remission (exemption) is available
to students from certain states for specific academic programs. Application must be
made first with the awarding state. The student must be a legal resident of that state
and approved for a specific major at the University of South Alabama. Both undergraduate
and graduate students are eligible to apply. The waiver is 100 percent of the non-resident
tuition remission and will remain at this level unless the student's field of study
changes, or a student no longer has full-time status.

A qualified student must maintain full-time status, remain in academic good standing
and comply with all the requirement of the degree program. If a student changes their
major from the approved ACM certified major, then they must inform the Office of the
Registrar at USA of the change of status. The student will be responsible for the
non-resident tuition for the remaining semesters at the University of South Alabama.
To be eligible for the non-resident tuition remission during the first semester of
enrollment, applications and resident verification must be submitted to and approved
by the Office of the Registrar prior to the first day of class.

For more information about submission and deadlines, please contact the Office of
the Registrar at (251) 460-6251. Students seeking information on the Academic Common
Market waiver should contact the Academic Common Market at: